The Smith Hotel, I have found intriguing in the sense of the lack of records. Yet, it was one of the more substantial buildings in Susanville during its day.
The founder, Jacob Smith, a German immigrant whose true spelling of his last name was Schmitt, arrived in Susanville, in the fall of 1864. Records about his early activities conflict. According to Fairfield’s history, Smith operated a brewery from 1865 to 1872. Yet in December 1868 the Lassen Advocate reported that Smith and Doctor R.F. Moody were partners in a drug store. Moody filled the prescriptions and Smith sold them. The Advocate in April 1869 reported that Smith sold his drug store to Dr. Z.N. Spalding and had returned to brewing beer.
In the summer of 1877, Smith hired Henry Tunison to construct his “fire-proof” three-story hotel on the south side of the 800 block of Susanville’s Main Street. However, only the first floor was made of stone. It was never revealed how much structure cost, but in October 1877 Tunison filed Mechanics Lien for $628.25 against Smith for the construction work.
So much of fire-proof, as it was destroyed in the big fire of 1882. Some records state that Smith, along with his wife, Sophia, remained in the hotel business and others he continued as a brewer. Dick Harrison, a great-grandson was under the impression that Sophia operated a boarding house, but not a full-fledged hotel.
Tim
Thanks for the photo of the hotel. Mrs. Smith was Sophia Heil, a sister of Katherina Heil, who married Georg Dieter in Arheilgen, Darmstadt Germany. After making this discovery, I would say that might be why Dan Dieter and family came to live in Janesville (Buntingville), because he had an aunt who ran a local hotel. Schmidt, Heil and Dieter all came from Arheilgen. There was a fire noted in the paper July 20, 1893 that states not much left of the Smith Hotel. There is also an article on a fire that occurred June 6, 1900 which lists Mrs. Smith’s hotel as one of the buildings impacted.